Writing instrument



Jan. l, 1952 H. c. FRENTzEL WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed NOV. 15, 1945 ,GNN

N V EN TOR. erwan fj/"re Patented Jan. l, 1952 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE..

WRITING INSTRUMENT Application=November15, 1945, Serial N0. 628,769

4 Claims. (C1. 1Z0-42.03)

This invention relates to fountain pens' of the ball-point type and has'todo more especially witha novel projecting-retracting mechanism' whereby the writing point may alternately be projected out of and retracted back 'into :the barrelof the instrument.'

One ofthe objects of l'my invention is'to provide in a ball-pointffountainepen a'projectin'ge-r ink on the exposed surfacefof the ball point, and

unless some means be provided for retracting the point into the barrel itl always is possible that ones clothing may become soiled uponk pocketng the pen.

It is believed that Vthe majority of ownersv of ball-point fountainY pens 'equipped withA project; ing-retracting mechanisms are not disposedv to be negligent about retracting the writing point, but

there are some who may at times be forgetful and it is an importantr objectof this invention to provide a projecting-retracting mechanismV which will automaticallybring about retraction of ythe writing point. inresponsev to the action in-l volved in using the pen clip inthe normal man'- ner..

My invention is characterized in that the latch whichxreleasably holds the writing point in projected position is so .connected .with the pocket clip that lifting the free end of .the fclipaway from .the barrel, as is necessarily done in secur-V ing the clip to the pocket,.is effective to release the projecting-retracting 'mechanism..and thus bring about retraction of the'writing point into the barrel...

Other. .objects 'and advantages:I of. my :invention:`

willl .be apparent' from. the-detailed description which follows.

In theA drawing:

Figure 1 is antelevational view ofA aballepcint penin accordance .witha .preferred embodiment of the invention-the `ball point lbeing in` retracted position;

Fig. 2 Vis a view,V partlyin section andpartly.. in elevation,l taken at right angles to Fig. 1 and:

showing the projecting-retracting mechanismin retracted position;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal' sectionalview` ofthe sameinstrument;

Figui is a transverse sectional view taken along... line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a .transverse sectional View taken along.v line 5--5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view taken along linev 6 6 of Fig. 2.

The assemblage illustrated comprises an elongate barrel I consisting'of a tubular portion 2 to the front end 'of which vis detachably connected f a-.tapered tip member 3. Disposed within the barrel is a ball-and-cartridge unit 4 comprising a tubular ink-"reservoir'5, anink'fee'd tube'jandf' a writing ball 'l-the latter being rotatably seated in an adapter 8 which is securedto the front* .end of feed tube E. Within the reservoir there may be provided a metal ball 9 which has a close running fit in the bore of the reservoir and serves asa seal to prevent escape of inkfrom the reser# Voir and 'as an lauxiliary weight for 'urging the ink forwardly toward the ball point.

The ball-and-cartridge unit 4 is freely reciprocable lengthwise in the barrel and is continuously urged rearwardly by a coil spring I 0.- -'Said unit can be removed for replacement by unscrew- .ing tip member 3 from the tubular portion 2.

A plunger I I connected to the rear end ofballand-cartridge unit 4 is reciprocable lengthwise and Yprojects .from :therea-r fend-.ofthe barrel to form a manually operable pushbutton Ila.`

@Plunger Il is drilled toY provide a vent orice l2 of smaller diameter which serves to connect theinteriorofthe. yink reservoir. with-.the .external atmosphere'. 'I'hisisnecessary in orderfto prevent creation of a vacuum within the reservoir fsuch as might prevent feedngout of the ink.'

Depression of pushbutton Ila is effective to project both the plunger and ball-and-cartridg'e unit forwardly against the. opposition of spring I0 to the position shown in Fig. 3 wherein the" f-ball point 'l is situated externally of the barrel in writing position.

A lengthwise extending rectangular slot-like' opening I3 is provided/in the tubular portion 2 of the Ybarrel for the reception of 'an assembly comprising a pocket clip I4, a latch member l5' and a leaf springl, which are secured togetherv at one end by means of a screw I'l-said Vleaf spring `I6 being clamped between-adjacent endsy of pocket clipM and Vlatchinember I5.

Pocket clip I4 is-of the conventionalvarietvy comprising anfelongate arm anchored at one end and having a freeend itlawhich is designedato f grippingly engage the front-piece of a pocket. As .1: is ordinarily the case, said free end lanormally #bears against the barrelof .the instrument under.;

spring pressure and can be forced away from the barrel to permit insertion of a pocket front-piece.

Latch member I5 is an elongate metal arm, the free end of which is adapted to engage a shoulder I8 on plunger II when said plunger is in its retracted position, as depicted in Fig. 2;

and it is further adapted to engage a secondl shoulder I 9 on said plunger I I, as shown in Fig. 3, for latching retaining said plunger and said balland-cartridge unit in their forward positions as per Fig. 3.

Latch member I5 automatically engages shoulder I9 when the plunger is moved forwardly by depressing pushbutton IIa, and it is operable to disengage said shoulder I9 in response to an outward pull on the free end I4a of pocket clip I.

Members I4 and I5 are so shaped that they jointly form a recess or groove 29 which is proportioned to embrace the shell of tubular portion 2 at the rear end of slot I3. This engage ment affords a pivotal anchorage about which the assembly comprising members 4 and I5 is rotatable, whereby latch member i5 is operable to engage and disengage shoulder i9.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the pen structure illustrated is so designed that when the free end Ia of the pocket clip is lifted from the barrel, as in securing the instrument to ones pocket, latch member IE is rotated about its pivotal anchorage sufliciently to disengage its free end from shoulder I9, thus enabling plunger II and the ball-and-cartridge unit 4 to be retracted by spring I0, as depicted in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be self-evident that there are various modifications and alternative embodiments within the scope and purview of my inventive concept, and I do not wish to be limited except by terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A ball-point writing instrument comprising a barrel, a ball-and-cartridge unit disposed in said barrel and reciprocable lengthwise thereof, said unit comprising an ink reservoir and a writing ball, mechanism for propelling said unit forwardly in said barrel for projecting said writing ball outwardly of the barrel into writing position, a spring for retracting said unit, said mechanism comprising a plunger situated in said barrel at the rear of said unit and reciprocable lengthwise of the barrel, said plunger projecting out of the rear end of said barrel to form a manually operable pushbutton, a latch comprising an arm disposed within said barrel adjacent said plunger and pivotally anchored at one end, the free end of said arm extending forwardly lengthwise of the barrel and positioned to engage a shoulder on said plunger for latching said plunger in its forward position, a spring continuously urging the free end of said arm toward said plunger, a pocket clip mounted exteriorly of said barrel and comprising a second arm pivotally anchored at one end and extending forwardly lengthwise of the barrel, and a connection betwen said second arm and said first arm for effecting simultaneous rotation of said arms about their pivotal centers whereby a predetermined movement of the free end of said first-mentioned arm about its pivotal center in a direction away from said barrel is effective to unlatch said plunger.

2. A ball-point writing instrument comprising a barrel, a ball-and-cartridge unit disposed in said barrel and reciprocable lengthwise thereof, said unit comprising an ink reservoir and a writing ball, mechanism for propelling said unit forwardly in said barrel for projecting said writing ball outwardly of the barrel into writing position, a spring for retracting said unit, said mechanism comprising a plunger situated in said barrel at the rear of said unit and reciprocable lengthwise of the barrel, said plunger projecting out of the rear end of said barrel to form a manually operable pushbutton, and an assemblage comprising a rst arm, a second arm and an armactuating spring, said arms being connected together at one end with one end of said armactuating spring clamped therebetween, the interconnected ends of said arms forming, conjointly, a groove engaging said barrel to effect a pivotal anchorage for said arms, the other end of said arm-actuating spring being engaged by said barrel, said arm-actuating spring being operative continuously to bias said arms about their pivotal anchorage in such direction that the free end of said first arm is pressed against said plunger while the free end of said second arm is urged toward said barrel, said plunger having a shoulder engageable by said first arm to latch said plunger in its forward position, said second arm constituting a pocket clip.

3. A writing instrument comprising a barrel, a unit slidably mounted in said barrel and including a writing point at the forward end of said unit adapted to be projected and retracted through the adjacent forward end of said barrel, spring means constantly urging said unit toward retracted position wherein said writing point is concealed in said barrel, means for propelling said unit to project said writing point from said barrel, an elongated lever arm positioned in the barrel, means for swingably mounting said arm at one end on the barrel, said arm having its free end positioned to move into latching engagement with said unit for retaining the unit in projected position, means urging the free end of said arm into latching position, and an elongated pocket clip positioned outside the barrel and rigidly secured at one end to the mounted end of said arm, the connection between said arm and clip extending through the barrel, said clip, an outward movement thereof, being effective for moving the free end of said arm out of latching position.

4. A writing instrument comprising a barrel, a unit slidably mounted in said barrel and including a writing point at the forward end of said unit adapted to be projected and retracted through the adjacent forward end of said barrel, spring means constantly urging said unit toward retracted position wherein said writing point is concealed in said barrel, means for propelling said unit to project said writing point from said barrel, an elongated lever arm positioned in the barrel, means for swingably mounting said arm at one end on the barrel, said arm having its free end positioned to move into latching engagement with said unit for retaining the unit in projected position, the free end of said arm being movable to a position further inwardly of the barrel than the mounted end thereof, means urging the free end of said arm into latching position, and an elongated pocket clip positioned outside the barrel and rigidly secured at one end to the mounted end of said arm, the connection between said arm and clip extending through the barrel, said 5 clip, on outward movement thereof, being effective for moving the free end of said arm out of latching position.

HERMAN C. FRENTZEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date ,Myers Mar. 6, 1888 Moore Apr. 16, 1946 `Biro May 21, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Austria Jan. 26, 1925 

